International
Gabriel Boric closes January with an average approval rating of 27 %

February 1st |
The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, closed January with 27 % approval, three points less than the previous month. While disapproval reached 68 %, four points higher than the previous month, published the research firm Cadem in its latest survey.
This level of disapproval is the highest figure since he took office on March 11, 2022. In his first month in the Executive, Boric obtained 28 % of disapproval, but consecutively this percentage increased.
The following month it was 49 %, in May 53 %, in June 54 %, in July 57 %, in August 56 %, in September 57 %, in October 65 %, in November 63 % and in December 64 %.
Meanwhile, 68 % of the participants said that they have lost confidence in the leftist president and only 31 % trust him. When he came to power, Chileans gave him 54 % confidence.
In addition, 86 % of Chileans surveyed considered that Boric does not have the experience to govern. Cadem also shared that 68 % believe that he does not have the capacity to solve the country’s problems either.
Another 66 % considered that he will not be able to lead the necessary changes at the right pace. A 68 % said that he does not have authority and leadership and an equal percentage said the same about the government team, ministers and undersecretaries. Likewise, 69 % indicated that he does not have the capacity to manage crises.
The worst evaluated areas of Boric’s government are the fight against crime and drug trafficking, with 78 % disapproval; inflation, with 76 % disapproval; and immigration, with 82 % disapproval.
Other areas of disapproval are education, with 61 %; health, with 67 %; economy and employment, with 68 %; the Mapuche conflict, with 69 %; and public order, with 76 %.
On January 11, Congress approved the fifteenth extension of the state of emergency which continues in the Araucanía region and two Biobío regions until mid-February. This allows the President to order the deployment of the military in areas where Mapuche protests are taking place.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
International
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide

COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
International
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”
On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.
Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.
DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.
“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.
She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”
McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.
The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.
International
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The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
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